Clifton Hicks - John Henry - Clawhammer Banjo

[@AlbertaBackwoodsAdventures]

Great rendition, have you ever considered posting a website with tabs and lessons. I am sure your followers would gladly subscribe and pay for your knowledge! Keep up the great art of old times

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

I suggest you come check out our Banjo Heritage Commons group at patreon.com/cliftonhicks. I share quite a few lessons, Q&As etc. and several of our members there post tablature on occasion.

[@AlbertaBackwoodsAdventures]

Thank you

[@JGHoff]

I recommend you follow the link that Clifton posted below; there is a wealth of information on the Banjo Heritage Commons pages!

[@CalvinNeighbors]

The John Henry statue is located at the east portal of Big Bend Tunnel in Talcott, Summers County, West Virginia. Our family homeplace is several miles further east on Dempsey Mountain at Pence Springs, once known as "Stockyards" on the C&O...

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

Interesting. There is new compelling research that John Henry actually died at the White Oak Tunnel on the Central Georgia Railroad. Art Rosenbaum was convinced of this before he died, and encouraged me to change my lyrics!

[@zachsmith8916]

You know growing up in West Virginia I never knew that John Henry was actually one of my state's official folk heroes until I was grown. It's pretty cool to know that he was a real man.

[@fuchsiasaville]

Internet is slowing down now still a like from me 8.45pm here in England x

[@terryfreeman1018]

Anyone else notice this young man wasn't watching down at the banjo. He didnt have to. Amazing.

[@graeme7446]

Freakin awesome. All the better for me because my deceased father was called John Henry. And he sure was one helluva man. Thanks.

[@t4texastom587]

It's always a great start to my day when I listen to Clifton Hicks and his banjo while my rooster is crowing. 🪕

[@annebennett313]

I've been listening to your rendition of this song for about three months straight. So grateful that it exists and so grateful you are sharing this with the world. Thank you

[@richardphilpott1225]

Hey Clifton, I gotta say thanks man for opening my eyes. Got me an SS Stewart, grade 2. Put on some 5 Star tuners, Converse bridge and Nylguts. It has one of those skin heads with the crown label on it. The neck seems like its been raked for steel strings but it growls hard. I bought an old Stewart neck brace and a Kershner tailpiece but haven't installed them yet. Been practicing an hour or 2 each day for @ 2 months (clawhammer). I'm actually gettin it down with pulloffs and hammer ons. Workin on slides. Just wanted you to know you made this old dude happy and I feel like I have a valid creative direction. Thinkin a MacArthur grant is in order. You rock!

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

Awesome. Good call on the bridge. I'm guessing you ordered a neck brace because one had been installed on it before? They were a flawed piece of technology (known today as "heel crackers" or "heel splitters" 😬) so it's not a required part.

[@richardphilpott1225]

@@CliftonHicksbanjoYeah, that bridge from Joel Hooks made all the difference, I sanded a very slight radius on the bottom as I'm runnin a looser head. It has 24 hooks and hexheads. It's not drilled for the brace, I'll probably forgo putting it on. I got a Pigsah Hawktail on there now and it sounds dark as hell man. I friggen love this thing. I was thinking about a steel drone string as my #5 is kinda weak yet. Thanks for the reply Clifton. I'm not trying to kiss yer ass but you're important to a lot of good folks out there and I thank you for that. Rick.

[@brianstearskingnothing]

What a kick ass version 👏

[@Liesl_Cigarboxguitar]

Simply my favourite blues song 🎵

[@terryfreeman1018]

Holy crap little brother. You're damn amazing.

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

Thanks. Been playing 25 years.

[@daveyjoweaver6282]

A true sound of John Henry! A fine job Clifton, Kind Thanks! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania

[@JGHoff]

Very nice... I can't wait to learn it. You would think, 'with 3 strings tuned the same, and the remining 2 tuned the same how can you have a good sounding song?'.... Well you just answered that question.

[@franksabatino7576]

The relaxed tempo and feeling of this song is very satisfying!

[@sophieclark2070]

Hay keep up the good music Watching from oklAhoma. Steve clark

[@miker.9587]

This might be my favorite of yours, Clifton. As usual, lots of soul to it! 👍

[@alancook7174]

Love that tuning. Fantastic!

[@toadeepants]

Clifton, I wonder if you could talk about or teach us some Ola Belle Reed, sometime?

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

Her "Boat's up the River" was actually _the_ _first_ traditional banjo recording that I ever heard. Art Rosenbaum's "Art of Field Recording" vol. 2 has a great recording of it.

[@lornebain3831]

Two thumbs up ...

[@Mamlishways]

Such a cool version

[@SIMUL4CR4]

Encore!

[@bluegoose555]

well done...extremely satisfying !

[@moonoggin]

Love you playing these songs so much.

[@croceater3]

thanks man this is very good i was wondering what key now i know .

[@donaldroberts7055]

Love it!

[@jolox.]

Nice arrangement!

[@toadeepants]

❤️💚👏🏾👏🏾💚❤️

[@DanDDirges]

Outstanding arrangement and performance of this much beloved classic! Excellent audio HQ too! I don't like to ask questions but could you name the camcorder you use or is it a laptop recording? Anyways really sounds great!

[@DanDDirges]

Your picking and singing has gotten even better! Those bended notes was a nice touch!

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

The camera is my wife's not sure of the details.It's a Sony "a5000" with a lens she bought. One could hook an external microphone to it but I haven't tried that.

[@DanDDirges]

Thank you, Just goes to show you don't need a lot of fancy mics and interfaces to get great audio HQ!

[@simonolsen9995]

Absolutely love it. Plus, isn't that Darling Cora tuning? I've been looking for another song in that tuning. Will be watching eagerly for more. Thanks so much. PS. Been using a "relative" tuning per your advice for two weeks now. Really helpful idea and now I can (sort of) sing along a bit. Thanks again.

[@davesiler4064]

Fantastic, as usual, Clifton!!! You just get better all the time! BTW, are you from KY???

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

Born in Jacksonville, Florida but learned to play from Alabamians & Kentuckians.

[@digitaldemocracyai-rob]

@@CliftonHicksbanjo "Some people say he's from Tennessee, some say he's from Alabam....hell, I dont give a damn where that poor boy's from....you know he is a banjo playin man". They'll be singing songs about you Cifton with any luck :)

[@Hey_its_Koda]

What kinda hat is that? I made a trip from Utah to Boone NC and Banner Elk NC and saw a few men around town wearing them?

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

That's just a beat up old fedora. I think they call them "hipster hats" now. Mine says "Park Royal" inside and I think I did actually buy it at the Good Will in Boone, NC...

[@Hey_its_Koda]

Oh. Its beautiful country. I never seen so much green in my life. Im used to desert. I hope visit again.

[@EdwardPike]

They need this for a human programmer vs AI.

[@ruebenmikoch]

I can ceramic coat your banjo so it wont get dirty.....

[@richardfrailing2529]

Sincerely disappointed by the lack of nuance in your thinking. I appreciate your desire to keep the tradition of banjo alive and have enjoyed your videos, but am unsubscribing to your patreon and KZbin. There are issues in this country larger and more complex than the second amendment or the right to defend one’s property, i.e. the irreducible cultural crisis resulting from the denial of basic human rights to one-third of our country’s population for the majority of our country’s history. Kyle Rittenhouse is not a murderer, but he is a child whose ignorance and acceptance of dangerous group-think resulted in the deaths of two innocent people. Best of luck with your culture war.

[@franksabatino7576]

The relaxed tempo and feeling of this song is very satisfying!

[@franksabatino7576]

The relaxed tempo and feeling of this song is very satisfying!

[@franksabatino7576]

The relaxed tempo and feeling of this song is very satisfying!